Senate subcommittee hears HB 1193 to fund statewide literacy coaches, screenings and a new task force

A Georgia Senate subcommittee heard testimony on House Bill 1193, the Georgia Early Literacy Act of 2026, which would create a statewide early-literacy program that funds school-based literacy coaches for kindergarten through third grade, establishes a state literacy task force and director, and requires unified district literacy plans.

The bill's sponsor, speaking to the committee, framed the measure as a long-term effort to ensure more third graders read on grade level, saying, "Reading is fundamental to learning," and arguing that getting students on grade level by third grade would change both individual lives and the state's economic outlook. The sponsor said the measure aligns classroom instruction with the "science of reading," requires universal screeners, and directs educator-preparation programs to be evaluated for literacy readiness.

Committee members pressed for details about rollout, staffing and cost. A presenter who walked the committee through the budget said the House's version includes roughly $31.2 million in QBE funding intended as a down payment to support school-based literacy coaches, with the estimate that base-level funding would cover coaches at approximately $54,000 per full-time position. That presenter described repurposing $18.4 million previously appropriated for regional coaches and listed additional proposed line items for the Governor's Office of Student Achievement (GOSA) and the Professional Standards Commission, including $150,000 for professional learning evaluation, $330,000 for high-quality instructional material review, $96,000 for screener review, $250,000 for a director-of-literacy position and $5.5 million to establish an applied reading center. The presenter summarized the House's startup total as about $60.9 million.

On implementation, presenters said school-based coaches would be hired and evaluated by local school systems and funded through QBE like other teaching positions; local systems would still carry routine employer costs (fringe benefits). The vision presented to the committee called for coaches to spend roughly 70% of their time in classrooms modeling instruction, coaching teachers and working directly with students, while regional (RESA) and leadership coaches would provide professional learning and oversight.

Lawmakers raised questions about screening, promotion and retention. The bill would add earlier screening (including readiness checks for students entering first grade) and establish individualized literacy plans. Presenters said each school would develop a unified literacy plan to identify students' needs and that parents would be part of placement and promotion/retention teams, with an appeal process available.

Several public witnesses endorsed the bill while urging refinements. Kenneth Dyer, superintendent of the DoorDash County School System in Albany, told the committee he strongly supports HB 1193 but recommended adding a targeted poverty weight to state funding so schools with high proportions of students in poverty receive additional resources. Dyer cited state data showing wide gaps in third-grade ELA proficiency between high-poverty and low-poverty schools and described local results after combining coaches with wraparound supports.

Jaylene Hunter, chair of the Meredith City Schools Board of Education and a Georgia Literacy Council member, said her district trained teachers in the science of reading and invested in coaches beginning in 2021; she reported an 11-percentage-point gain on Georgia milestones in her system and said sustained coaching enabled the district to reduce coach headcount over time as teacher practice improved.

Beth Haines, state leader for Decoding Dyslexia, urged that the task force include experts on dyslexia and that the state provide stronger guidance to districts on using screeners and interventions so at-risk students are not missed. At least one state education official who spoke to the hearing reiterated support for the bill and for aligning standards and materials with current reading science.

The hearing provided no vote; the chair closed by thanking witnesses and saying the committee will consider the bill at the next procedural step. The hearing record shows committee members focused on budget timing, coach sourcing amid teacher shortages, ESOL and dyslexia protections, parental role in placement decisions, and whether state-level poverty-weighted funding should be added to boost resources for high-need schools.

Next step: committee staff indicated the bill will return to the regular appropriations committee for further consideration; no formal action was taken at this hearing.